Waldorf Attack iOS Owner's manual

User Manual

English

Content

Attack Reference Manual 2

Content

Foreword ................................................................................ 3!

Introduction ............................................................................ 5!

Basic Operation ..................................................................... 6!

Audio Output .................................................................. 6!

MIDI Input ...................................................................... 6!

Preset Selection ............................................................... 6!

Control Elements ............................................................. 6!

The Control Functions .......................................................... 9!

Overview of Functions .................................................... 9!

The Top Section .............................................................. 9!

The Sound Menu Page .................................................. 16!

The Oscillator Section ................................................... 17!

The Mixer Section ......................................................... 22!

The Oscilloscope .......................................................... 23!

The Crack Modulator .................................................... 23!

The Filter Section .......................................................... 24!

The Envelope Section .................................................... 28!

The Amplifier Section .................................................... 30!

The Pattern Sequencer on the Sound Menu Page ........... 32!

The Virtual Keyboard ..................................................... 32!

The Effects Menu Page ................................................... 33!

The Pattern Menu Page .................................................. 41!

Drum Pattern Example ................................................... 47!

The Song Menu Page ..................................................... 48!

The Pads Menu Page ..................................................... 50!

The Mixer Menu Page .................................................... 51!

Sound Synthesis Basics ..................................................... 53!

Oscillators Introduction ................................................. 53!

Introduction Filter .......................................................... 57!

Programming Drum Sounds ........................................... 58!

Appendix .............................................................................. 66!

Knowledge about the iTunes Folder ............................... 66!

Inter-App Audio with the Attack .................................... 67!

Glossary ........................................................................ 68!

Product Support ............................................................. 72!

Foreword

Attack Reference Manual 3

Foreword

Thank you for purchasing the Waldorf Attack Drum Syn-

thesizer for iPad. Attack offers nearly all components to

generate analog drum and percussion sounds, combined

with a powerful pattern sequencer.

Attack offers a straightforward sound structure that

faithfully emulates a wide range of percussion sounds,

from those of well-known classic drum or rhythm genera-

tors to new, unique drum sounds such as bass drums and

snare drums over shakers as well as heavily modulating

synth effects. In addition, the Attack offers ways to create

amazing bass and lead sounds. The extraordinary Phrase

Vocoder generates voice effects based on text input.

We promise you a lot of fun while playing, working and

composing with the Attack.

Your Waldorf Team

Hint

Waldorf Music GmbH is not liable for any erroneous

information contained in this manual. The contents of this

manual may be updated at any time without prior notice.

We made every effort to ensure the information herein is

accurate and that the manual contains no contradictory

information. Waldorf Music GmbH extends no liabilities

in regard to this manual other than those required by local

law.

This manual or any portion of it may not be reproduced in

any form without the manufacturer’s written consent.

Waldorf Music GmbH, Lilienthal Str. 7, D-53424

Remagen, Germany

Foreword

Attack Reference Manual 4

Das Attack Development Team

Software: Christian Bacaj,

Stefan Stenzel

Design: Stephan Gries, Matthias

Hahnen, Axel Hartmann (Design

Box)

Manual: Holger Steinbrink

Version: 1.1, November 2015

w Please visit our website www.waldorfmusic.com

Here you will find information of all our products.

We would like to thank

Karsten Dubsch, Joachim Flor, Daniel Krawietz, Frédéric

Meslin, Miroslaw Pindus, Oliver Rockstedt, Frank Schnei-

der, Kurt "Lu" Wangard, 吴 .

Introduction

Attack Reference Manual 5

Introduction

About this Manual

This manual was written to help you to become familiar

with the Attack drum synthesizer. It will also aid experi-

enced users with routine tasks.

To avoid confusion, the terminology in this manual is

based on the Attack parameter names. You will find the

various terms explained in a glossary at the end of this

manual.

We also used a uniform set of symbols to show you topics

of particular interest or significance. Important terms are

highlighted in bold letters.

Symbols

m Caution – The comments that follow this symbol

will help you avoid errors and malfunctions.

w Info – Additional information on a given topic.

[ Example – Real-world examples to try out.

Highlighted Control Features and Parameters

All of the Attack’s buttons, controls and parameters are

highlighted in bold letters throughout the manual.

Example:

• Tap on the Keytrack switch.

• Tap and move the Cutoff dial.

The Attack’s different parameter pages are illustrated in a

depiction of the display.

Basic Operation

Attack Reference Manual 6

Basic Operation

Audio Output

Use the volume buttons of your iPad to control the overall

level. We recommend to use a suited Class Compliant

Audio interface, a headphone or a connected amplifier /

loudspeaker system to receive the best sound quality.

MIDI Input

Attack can be played via the internal keyboard. We re-

commend to connect a suited MIDI keyboard via a Core

MIDI iPad interface. You can also send MIDI data via

WIFI MIDI as well as a virtual MIDI connection

w By using the iPad Camera Connection Kit you can

also connect USB Class Compliant keyboards as

the Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard or the Zarenbourg.

Preset Selection

Tap on the name of a preset in the center of the Attack

Top section to open the Preset list. Here you can choose

your favorite Song or drumset (Set) as well as a single

sound. Tap onn the corresponding button (e.g. Load Set)

and close the preset list by tapping on Close.

w More about loading and saving of Songs and Sets

can be found on page 10 of the manual.

Control Elements

To edit a sound you have to change its parameters. There-

fore, Attack offers different types of control elements:

Dials

To set a value, tap on the dial, hold down and

drag your finger up or down. Double tapping

sets the parameter to its default value.

Dials with ring

This dial controsl two parameter.

One by the inner dial (turquoise

color), one by the outer ring (orange

color), e.g. for Cutoff and Reso-

nance. To change the value, tap and

hold on the corresponding dial (or

on the corresponding point beside

the parameter name) and move your finger up or down.

Basic Operation

Attack Reference Manual 7

Selection Switches

Selection switches can be easily tapped.

The corresponding symbol lits, when

activated. Tapping on another symbol

deactivates the first selected. Selection

switches can be deactivated by tapping

again.

Pop-up Menus

Tap on the corresponding

parameter to open a pop-up

menu, where you can choose

the desired option by tapping.

Tap on Close to close the pop-

up menu.

Blades

Tap on the desired blade to select

and to play the corresponding

sound.

Switches

Switches can be simply tapped. The switch of

the corresponding function switches to the

respective position.

The Envelope Graphics

Tap on the cor-

responding gra-

phic and slide it

horizontal to

change the enve-

lope parameters

Attack and Decay.

Pitchbend and Modulation Wheel

To change the value, tap on the wheel

and drag it up or down. The Pitchbend

wheel snaps automatically back into its

center position as soon as you release

your finger.

Attack Reference Manual 8

The Virtual Keyboard

Attack provides a virtual keyboard with 77 keys. Tap on a

key to hear the corresponding note. The vertical position

of the initial touchdown of the key determines the velo-

city.

Fader (on Mixer Menu Page)

Tap on the corresponding fader and hold it.

Move your finger up or down to change the

value.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 9

The Control Functions

Overview of Functions

Attack consists of numerous sound-shaping components.

w Is this your first drum synthesizer? Are you curious

about sound synthesis? If so, we recommend to

read the chapter "Sound Synthesis Basics" in this

manual.

You should know that Attack consists of two different

types of components for sound generation and sound

shaping:

• Sound synthesis: oscillators, filter, amplifier, effects:

These modules represent the audio signal flow. Sound

generation actually occurs within the oscillators. It

produces different waveforms or samples. The filter

then shapes the sound by amplifying (boosting) or at-

tenuating (dampening) certain frequencies. The ampli-

fier is located at the end of the signal chain. It sets the

overall volume of the signal and can add some satura-

tion. Additionally, effects can be added to the signal.

• Modulators: The modulators are designed to manipu-

late or modulate the sound generating components to

add dynamics to the sound. The Low-frequency Oscil-

lator (LFO) is designed for periodic or recurring modu-

lations while the envelopes are normally used for mo-

dulations that occur once.

The Top Section

The Top section provides the global overview and in-

cludes the following options:

Menu Page Selection

Tap on the desired menu page (Sound, Effects, Pattern,

Song, Pads oder Mixer) to open it. The actual menu

page will be lit in turquoise color.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 10

Preset Selection

Tap on the Preset name to open the preset pop-up menu.

Here you find three columns for the selection of Songs,

(Drum-)Sets and Sounds.

• Tap on the desired set name. The sound list will be

updated automatically with the included sounds.

• Tap on the desired Load button to load the actual

selection. Keep in mind, that the current preset (Song,

Set or Sound) will be overwritten with the new one.

• If Audition is activated, a selected sound will be play-

ed automatically if selected.

Tap on Close at the bottom of the window to close it.

The Save Function for Songs and Sets

Tap on Save Song to save the current song. Tap on Save

Set to save the current drum set. A new window opens:

• Tap on the name field to change the name before

finally saving the Song or Set.

• Tap on Save to finally save the Song or Set.

• Tap on Cancel to cancel the process

w You can transfer Songs and Sets from your iPad to

your computer and vice versa by using the iTunes

Folder. A deeper explanation of the iTunes Folder

can be found in the manual appendix.

w Keep in mind that preset with lock symbol can´t be

overwritten.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 11

The Tempo (BPM)

Tap on the tempo display to

open a pop-up window. Here

you can set the tempo for the

step sequencer in BPM (beats

per minute). By using the slider

or the tap function, you can

easily set up the desired tempo.

You can also enter the tempo

directly by double tapping the

tempo value. Tap again on the

tempo display to close the win-

dow.

The Pattern Display (PTN)

Attack´s pattern sequenzer

can hold up to 999 pattern.

Tap on the pattern display to

open a window for selecting

the desired pattern. Use the

plus/minus buttons to select

the pattern. Tap again on the

pattern display to close the window. Alternatively, you

can wipe with your finger over the pattern number to

change the pattern.

The Transport Controls

Here you find all con-

trols regarding playback

and recording of pat-

terns:

• Tap again and again on the Chain mode symbol to

switch between the three playback modi Pattern, Song

and Loop:

• If Pattern mode ist selected, only the

current pattern will be played in loop.

• If Song mode is activated, all pattern

in the song timeline (see "Song Menu

Page") will be played in order.

• If Loop mode is activated, the selected

loop on the Song menu page (see cor-

responding chapter) will be played

back in order.

• Tap on the Record but-

ton to activate the pattern

recording via the internal

keyboard, the Pads or via a connected MIDI keyboard.

Tapping the button again activates the automatic

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 12

quantize function during recording, that moves every

incoming note to the next step. To start recording, tap

on the Play button.

• Tap on the Play button to start the playback of the

pattern sequencer or the playback of a song, when the

Chain mode is activated. If the Record button is acti-

vated, the Play button starts the recording. Tap the

Play button again ends the playback or the recording.

The Information Symbol

Tap on the information symbol to open a pop-

up menu with additional functions.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 13

• Settings opens a window

with further options. To

activate or deactivate an

option, you need to wipe

over the corresponding sli-

der. The following options

are available:

• Background Audio: If

activated, Attack reacts

on incoming MIDI

data, when the App is

in background. Use

Background Audio if

you want to work with

another App while

Attack should keep on playing. Keep in mind:

Running idle in background still consumes CPU

and battery power. So, if you don’t need it,

switch it off.

w Attack is compatible to the Audio Bus technology.

It is available as input device. If you want to know

more about Audio Bus, please visit:

www.audiob.us

• Linear Knobs: If activated, you can edit a dial

value by tapping on it and move your finger up

and down. If Linear Knobs is deactivated, you

need to move around the dial to edit the corres-

ponding value.

• Save Last Session saves all data automatically

(Song and Set with sounds) when the Attack App

is closed. It is saved under the name "Last Sessi-

on" and will be opend automatically, when the

Attack App is started again.

• Pad Velocity enables the velocity triggering of

the Pads. The harder a pad is tapped, the higher

is the generated velocity.

• Blades Triggering Note activates the triggering

of notes by tapping on the blades.

• Metronome Recording activates a metronome

click, which gives you a rhythmic orientation for

manual pattern recording.

• Screen Auto Lock overwrites the iOS settings

for the iPad screen. If activated, Attack reacts as

in the basic iOS settings. If deactivated, the At-

tack screen is active until the iPad battery is flat.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 14

• Buffer Size Samples selects the buffer size (la-

tency) in samples (64, 128, 256, 512, 1024).

When triggering a MIDI note, a more less latency

gives you a better realtime feeling. Keep in mind:

the more less the buffer size, the higher the CPU

load of your iPad. We recommend to use a set-

ting of 64 samples only on the iPad Air 2 or

newer.

• MIDI Settings opens a screen with different MIDI

settings. Here you can e.g. define how Attack reacts

on incoming MIDI data. A chart shows all connected

MIDI hardware and its corresponding settings.

• The rows Attack Drums A and Attack Drums

B repesents two MIDI data busses of Attack. It

offers the usage of 2 x 16 MIDI channels and the

dedicated playback of each of the 24 Attack

sounds.

• The row Network Session refers to the internal

MIDI bus of your iPad.

w Keep in mind that based on the connected MIDI

hardware different input and output columns will

be shown. This depends on the configuration of

your MIDI hardware.

• In the column MIDI In to Sound you can choo-

se, how the corresponding row reacts on in-

coming MIDI notes. If deactivated, no MIDI no-

tes will be received. If 1...16 is selected, in-

coming MIDI notes on channels 1 to 16 will be

mapped to the sounds 1 to 16. Same ist for

17...24. Here only the first 8 MIDI channels will

be interpreted and mapped. The recommend set-

ting is 1...16 for Attack Drums A and 17...24

for Attack Drums B, so that you can play all

sounds of Attack independently via your MIDI

hardware. A further setting is selected. Here, the

MIDI input is only valid fort he selected sound.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 15

• In the column Drums CH10 you can define, that

all sound of a set will be mapped on your MIDI

keyboard (if activated) or not (if deactivated). If

activated, the first sound (mostly a bass drum)

will be mapped to MIDI note C2, the second

sound to C#2 and so on.

• In the column Clock In you can choose, if At-

tack reacts on inconing MIDI clock data or not.

• In the column Clock Out you can choose, if At-

tack sends MIDI clock data to the corresponding

MIDI hardware or not.

• In the column MIDI Out you can choose, if At-

tack sends MIDI notes to the corresponding MIDI

hardware or not. The Attack sounds will be

mapped automatically to the corresponding

MIDI channels (same as for MIDI In to Sound).

• About opens a window with information about the

Attack and the current version number. Tap on this

window to close it.

• Manual opens a website for downloading the Attack

PDF manuals in english and german. To go back to

Attack you have to call up the Attack App again.

• Rate on iTunes opens the Apple AppStore product

page for Attack. Here you can set a ranking for the

Attack.

• E-Mail Support opens the standard e-mail editor

with a predefined support e-mail. Here you can add-

ress your issue and send it directly to the Waldorf

support e-mail adress.

• Newsletter opens a website where you can sign up

for the Waldorf newsletter. To go back to Attack you

have to call up the Attack App again.

• Waldorf YouTube Channel opens the Youtube

channel of Waldorf Music. To go back to Attack you

have to call up the Attack App again.

• Waldorf on the App Store opens the Apple

AppStore product page for our Nave wavetable syn-

thesizer. To go back to Attack you have to call up the

Attack App again.

• Visit Waldorf website opens the Waldorf Music

website. To go back to Attack you have to call up the

Attack App again.

• Cancel closes the information window.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 16

The Sound Menu Page

The user interface of the Attack is split into useful sections

for easy access to the different parameters. Though the

Attack is primarily designed for creating drum and percus-

sion sounds, the setup is reminiscent of a synthesiser

offering subtractive synthesis. Due to its flexible synthesis

structure, the Attack is capable of creating classic synthe-

siser sounds, especially basses and leads.

To the left there are 24 blade buttons in the form of a

stylized keyboard positioned vertically. Next appear pa-

rameter groups for both Oscillators, the Mixer, the Filter,

the Amplifier, the Crack Modulator and settings for both

Envelopes. At the bottom of the menu page you will find

the pattern sequencer. Alternatively, you can overlay a

virtual keyboard.

w To get deeper into drum synthesis, we recommend

to read the chapter "Sound Synthesis Basics" in the

Appendix of this manual.

The Blade Buttons

By tapping on a blade button,

you select the corresponding

sound. A selected sound lits

turquoise. You will also hear

the corresponding sound, when

tapping on a blade.

Sound Name Field

Here, the name of the current

selected sound is displayed.

Tap on the name field to

open a keyboard for changing the sound name.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 17

Init / Copy / Paste Buttons

Tap on Init to open a pop-

up window. "Init Sound"

sets all parameters of the

actual sound to simple but

useful settings. You can also enter a new name for the

initialized sound. "Init all sounds" initializes all sounds of

the current set. Tap on Copy to copy the current sound

into buffer. After that, select a desired sound and tap on

Paste to insert the copied sound. The current sound will

be overwritten. To avoid accidently pasting, you have to

confirm this process before.

Parameter Name and Value

Here, the name and the

value of the current edited

parameter is displayed.

The Mute and Solo Buttons

Tap on the Mute button (M) to mute the

current selected sound. Tap on the Solo

button (S) to solo the current selected

sound. This mutes all other sounds of the

drum set. Tap and hold the Solo button to deactivate the

solo function for all sounds, that are in solo mode.

The Oscillator Section

The Attack is equipped with two oscillators that have

almost identical functionality. Oscillator 1 additionally

contains an integrated FM (frequency modulation) section.

The following explanation is valid for both oscillators.

Pitch (Inner Dial)

Sets the pitch of the oscillator over a very wide range. This

is necessary to reproduce drum and percussion sounds.

Detune (Outer Dial)

Detune also works with Pitch and fine-tunes the

oscillator in cents. The audible result of detuned

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 18

oscillators is a chorus or flanger effect. Use a positive

setting for one oscillator and an equivalent negative

setting for another.

[ A low value of ±1 results in a slow and soft flanger

effect.

[ Mid-ranged settings of ±5 are perfect for pads and

other fat sounding programs.

[ High values of ±12 or above will give a strong

detune that can be used for effect sounds.

Shape Buttons (Waveform)

Sets the type of waveform to be gene-

rated by the oscillator. The parameter

is called Shape instead of "waveform",

because it doesn’t necessarily set only

classic synthesizer waveforms, but it

also generates noise, sample&hold and

audio samples. However, the term

"waveform" is used interchangeably throughout this ma-

nual. The following shapes are currently available:

• Triangle: Selects the triangular waveform. The triang-

le mainly consists of odd harmonics with very low

magnitudes. It is perfect for nearly all drum and per-

cussion sounds.Sine: Selects the sine waveform. It

consists of the fundamental frequency only. It has no

harmonics at all. With a sine wave you can create

clean bass drums and snares. The sine wave is also

perfect for FM.Pulse: Selects the pulse waveform. This

waveform produces a hollow / metallic sound and is

perfect for bass drums and snare drums.

• Sawtooth: Selects the sawtooth waveform. A

sawtooth wave has all the harmonics of the fundamen-

tal frequency in descending magnitude. This wave-

form is pleasing to the ear. You can use it for bass and

lead sounds.

• S&H (Sample & Hold): S&H samples a random value

and holds it. Pitch selects the time of this process.

S&H is perfect for industrial-type FX sounds and as an

FM source.

• Noise is a fundamental source for any kind of analog-

type percussion, especially hi-hats and snare drums.

Also, wind and other sound effects can be created by

using noise. If noise is selected, you can “color” it

with the Pitch knob. Negative values create pink noi-

se (fewer high frequencies), positive values a blue noi-

se (fewer low frequencies).

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 19

The Sample button

doesn´t select an

oscillator waveform;

instead, you can

choose a samples from

a list for further

programming. Tap on

the sample button to

open a pop-up menu:

• Here you find an

alphabetic list with

a couple of samp-

les. Tap on a samp-

le to select it. Tap

on Load Sample

to load it into an

oscillator. To abort sample loading, tap on Close. The

loaded sample will be shown with its name on the

Sample button.

• If Audition is activated, every sample will be played,

when selected.

• Audio Paste allows you to import audiofiles from

another App on your iPad. If any audiofile is copied to

the clipboard, it can be inserted to the end of the

sample list by using the Audio Paste function.

• The Delete function allows you to delete a non-

locked sample from the sample list. Wipe your finger

from right to left over the sample name and confirm

with Delete. To abort deleting, tap on any place in

sample list.

• You can copy own samples to your iPad and use them

within the sample list. Therefore, you need to upload

samples via the iTunes folder. Read more in the Ap-

pendix of this manual.

w The square, sine, triangle and sawtooth wave-

forms always start at full amplitude to create a

necessary start click. This is characteristic for

drum and percussion sounds. To avoid this click,

simply raise the Attack value for Envelope 2.

w When creating typical synthesizer sounds you

might like to avoid the flanging effect caused by

detuned oscillators. This effect is caused by the

fixed phase of the waveforms. To do this, assign

a short pitch envelope to one of the oscillators.

The Control Functions

Attack Reference Manual 20

Keytrack

Determines, how much the pitch of the selected oscillator

depends on the MIDI note number. When Keytrack is

activated, it corresponds to a 1:1 scale, e.g. when an

octave is played on the keyboard, the pitch changes for

the same amount, based on the settings of Pitch and

Detune

(Pitch) Envelope

Sets the amount of pitch modulation from Envelope 1 or 2

(depending on the settings). Positive amounts will raise the

pitch when envelope modulation is applied. Negative

amounts will lower the pitch when envelope modulation

is applied. Use this parameter to create time-dependent

pitch changes.

w Envelope is one of the most important parameters

in drum programming because it simulates the cha-

racter of a real drum.

(Pitch) Velocity

Determines the amount of influence the selected envelope

has on the pitch, based on key velocity. This parameter

works similarly to the Pitch Envelope parameter, with

the difference that its intensity is velocity based. Use this

feature to give a more expressive character to the sound.

When you hit the keys smoothly, only minimal modula-

tion is applied. When you hit harder, the modulation

amount also gets stronger.

The overall modulation applied to the pitch modulation is

calculated as the sum of both the Pitch Envelope and

Pitch Velocity parameters. Therefore you should always

bear this total in mind, especially when pitch does not

behave as you expect. You can also create interesting

effects by setting one parameter to a positive and the other

to a negative amount.

FM (Frequency Modulation)

Sets the amount of frequency modulation that is applied to

Oscillator 1 by Oscillator 2. The sound will get more

metallic and sometimes even drift out of tune. Triangle

waves, sine waves and noise are especially suited for FM.

To change the frequency modulation dynamically, use an

envelope or velocity. The FM range of the Attack is very

wide, so that you can generate nearly chaotic FM out of

periodic waveforms like sine waves. This is necessary to

create hi-hats.

If you use noise as FM source, the sound will become

more tonal when you use higher FM settings. To create a

vibrato, set Oscillator 2 to a deep pitched triangle wave-

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Waldorf Attack iOS Owner's manual

Waldorf Attack iOS Owner's manual

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